Tug Of War
by Olynara Sedai
Summary: Holly and Minerva compete for Artemis. Simple rules: Hold onto him, and whoever keeps her grip wins. But in the end, who will get the prize? And even then, who really won?


**_This is so pointless and random, I only wrote it after drawing my _Minerva -V- Holly_ picture. AF/HS/MP. One of many, probably._**

**Tug Of War**

It was an empty, purely silver room. Somehow it held all the feelings, memories and ambiances of any room he had ever stood in. He was still detached from it, though. Looking down, he wore his customary suit, yet it seemed oversized, with bulky black buttons, a wide, pointless collar, and long draping sleeves that covered his hands. He felt like a boy playing dress up in his father's suit, yet it fit perfectly well. After a minute of staring, he realised it was also perfectly divided down the middle in black and white.

He heard a sound to his left and saw Holly, dressed in matte black Section 8 jumpsuit, and pushing back his ivory sleeve, she took his hand in a grasp similar to that during his time in Hybras, when in the magic circle. The second he did, a tingling warmed him, up to his shoulder.

Another sound, and he turned his head to see Minerva, in a white dress, walk up to him, and hold out her own hand. He took it with his ebony clad right hand in a friendly handshake; the same he had used when first meeting her properly, and felt that same warm tingle as he had when touching Holly. Somehow, he could see both their faces clearly, and they both smiled gently at him. In the next moment they noticed each other, and their smiles turned into icy glares. Changing stance, Holly took a defensive postion, tightening her grip on his hand, and covering both his and hers with the other hand. Minevra, accepting the challenge, delicately placed her other hand over his, and shifted her center of gravity, smiling darkly.

This would not end well.

"Three." Artemis heard himself speak neutrally. "Two." Both females seemed poised. "One." The atmosphere tensed.

The only sound to indicate 'go' was a sharp snap as Artemis was pulled taut, and the sudden draw of breath from Holly and Minerva. Artemis gasped as they both held tightly to his hands, pulling as hard as they could, in both direction. He felt like a plushtoy, which gave the childishly sized clothes slightly more sense. Milk-dressed Minerva clutched his darker side; full of plotting, money, and delicious intelligence. Night-suited Holly grasped the lighter; the self-sacrificing, kind, open side, that she herself had helped create. Neither woman gave an inch, wrenching at his arms in such perfect unison that you would think them a polished act. Neither one moved without a counter act by the other that came a fraction of a second before or after.

Then it happened.

The tilt. The change. The determining of the winner.

Artemis, trying to keep a balance of some sort, shifted position himself, and tripped.

The three of them were sent sprawling, not left or right but forward, crashing into a silver unholstered sofa that hadn't been there a second before. The three of them fell against the cushions, and when full sense were restored, both girls, one on each side of him, wrapped their arms around his waist and shoulders. They both smiled at him warmly and seductivly, then glared at each other, tightening their respective grips on the boy. After a moment of glaring they both relaxed slightly, leaning against him while he leaned against the cushions.

No-one won, decided Artemis as Holly and Minerva were silent. After a few seconds of deep breathing he realised two things. One, the three of them were breathing in perfect unisen, they three parts of a single whole. A single entity. Two:

There was a winner. So far, it was him.

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Artemis awoke with a gasp, sitting straight up and staring around. He was in his own dark bedroom, enveloped in blue sheets and pillows. His breathing slowly calmed enough for him to laugh shakily at himself. That was the single strangest dream he had ever had, and disturbed him about as much as the dreams he used to have about his father.

"I hate puberty."

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_**My first oneshot! Please tell me what you think! And what you thought of the pairing (if it can still be called that) idea?**_


End file.
